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Test method
Hale Samavati Test method Introduction Test method is a definitive procedure that produces the test result. Test can be considered as technical operation that consists of determination of one or more characteristics of a given product, process or service according to a specified procedure, often test is part of an experiment. Language testing movements #Prescientific; related to TGM, there is no item analysis, no reliability or validity, tests are subjective, open-ended, essay, and there is translation. #Psychometric-Structuralist; related to audio-lingual method, tests are objective, like multiple choice, there is reliability and validity. #Integrative-Sociolinguistic; this method focus on ability to use sociolinguistic aspects of language, tests like dictation and close-test. #Communicative; this method focus on ability to communicate functions or notions and perform tasks with language. Tests like role play, problem solving tests, group test, and task-based test. Functions of language tests The function of the test refers to the purpose for which a test is designed. Tests serve two major functions: 1- ''Prognostic tests; which includes ''placement (to determine channel of education for examinees, there is no pass or fail. The purpose of placement test is to measure the capabilities of applicant), selection (to provide information the examinees acceptance or non-acceptance into a particular program can be determined), aptitude (to predict applicants success in achieving certain objectives in the future).'' '' 2- ''Evaluation of attainment; which includes ''achievement (designed to measure the degree of student’s learning from a particular set of instructional materials. These tests are also called diagnostic to determine unambiguously, the strengths and weaknesses of the examinees in a particular course of study), proficiency (to measure the abilities of learners knowledge, capabilities in language components, and practically use of knowledge), knowledge (to measure knowledge of learners in the different language situation).'' '' Forms of language test The form of a test refers to its physical appearance. Testers should utilize the most appropriate form of the test which would correspond to the nature of the attribute to be measured. Tests consist of certain items and the form of the test is determined by the form of the items comprising in an item. The smallest unit of the test consists of two parts: #Stem; to elicit information from the examinees #Response; information elicited from the examinees. It includes alternatives or options or choices (correct response), and distracters. '' Classification of item forms It is based on different views taken by scholars in interpreting the concepts. - Objective tests; test is recognition items, because recognize the correct response among the alternatives. In objective test answers are concrete, verifiable, and straightforward, like multiple-choice and true false. - Subjective tests; test is supplementary because supply the missing part of the stem or complete an incomplete stem. There is more than one correct answer for each item, like essay-type items and open-ended items. Psycholinguistic classification It is based on identifying the process through which the item is answered. It attempts to benefit from the principles of psychology because responding to an item requires certain psychological processes. So it would be two-dimensional: recognition and production. The five major categories of test method facet are: (1) the testing environment; (2) the test rubric; (3) the nature of the input the test taker receives; (4) the nature of the expected response to that input, and (5)' the relationship between input and response. Testing environment ''Testing environment ''includes the facets: (1) familiarity of the place and equipment used in administering the test (Test takers tested with familiar ''equipment ''such as paper and pencils or tape recordings might perform better than those tested with unfamiliar equipment, such as computers); (2) the personnel involved in the test (Tests administered by familiar ''personnel may be conducive to better performance than those administered by unfamiliar personnel, and test takers might perform differently when examined by a superior, a peer, or a subordinate.; (3) the time of testing (test takers performing better or worse on a test given early in the day, for example, than on one given just after a heavy noon meal or late in the day, and (4)' '''physical conditions (presence of noise, temperature, humidity, seating arrangement, and lighting).' ' Test rubric The ''rubric' ''of the test consists of the facets that specify how test takers are expected to proceed in taking the test. These include the test organization, time allocation, and instructions. The majority of language tests consist of a collection of parts, which may be either individual items or questions, or sub-tests which may themselves consist of individual items. ''Test organization '' The majority of language tests consist of a collection of parts, which may be either individual items or questions, or sub-tests which may themselves consist of individual items. Salience of parts The test taker’s perception of the test, and hence his performance, may be affected by both the salience of the parts as distinct entities and by the descriptions of these parts that are provided by the test developer. Sequence of parts The sequence in which the different parts are presented may also influence test takers’ performance. Some test takers may move systematically through the test, answering the items in sequence, irrespective of how easy they find them or of how much time they spend on them, while others may adopt a strategy of going through the test several times, answering only the items they are absolutely certain of the first time, successively answering items that they find more and more difficult, and leaving any that they feel they simply cannot answer until the last, at which time they may attempt to guess the correct answer. Relative importance of parts Relative weighting is a function of the way the test scores themselves are distributed, rather than of the relative importance accorded by the test developer, it is referred to as ‘self-weighting’. This ‘self-weighting’ applies not only to scores on sub-tests, but also to item scores that may be added to yield a test score. '' '' ''Time allocation '' The amount of time allocated for the test or its parts is likely to affect test performance. ''Instructions '' '' '' Test instructions play a crucial role in test takers’ Performance, since their performance depends, on how well they understand the conditions under which test will be taken, the procedures to be followed and the nature of the tasks they are to complete. Facets of instructions include: (1) language (might be native language or target or both); (2) channel (might be aural, visual or both); (3) the specification of procedures and tasks (instruction specify the tasks and tasks indicate both the type of respond required and the form the response is expected to take), and (4) the explicitness of the criteria for correctness (It is useful to distinguish the effects of different scoring criteria on test scores from their direct effect on test performance). Input and expected response '' ' ''' Input consists of the information contained in a given test task, to which the test taker is expected to respond. The response is slightly more complex, in that a distinction needs to be made between the expected response and the test taker’s actual response (Cohen 1980). Input and expected response constitute two distinct sets of test method facets: format and nature of language. ''Input format '' It includes the channel, mode, form, vehicle, and language of presentation, the identification of problem, and the degree of speededness. ''Type of expected response '' One type of expected response is what Popham (1978) refers to as the ‘selected’ response, which characterizes multiple-choice tests. The second expected response type is the ‘constructed response’ (Popham 1978), in which the response consists of the production of a language sample in response to the input material. The form that the response is expected to take may be language, nonlanguage or both. When the form of the input or response is language, that language can be characterized by its: ''- Length; ''from a single word, to a sentence, to an extended piece of discourse. The longer the language sample, the greater the potential effects of the other characteristics discussed below. 1. Propositional content; characteristics of the information in the context and in the discourse: vocabulary, degree of contextualization, distribution of information, type of information, topic, and genre. ''- Propositional content, '' ''- Organizational characteristics, and '' ''- Illocutionary Characteristics. '' '' '' Three set of facets by which the language of the input and response are characterized: Organizational characteristics; Organizational competence is described as comprising those abilities that are related to controlling the formal organization of language. This formal organization is a characteristic of the course of both the input and the response, and is of three types: grammar, cohesion, and rhetorical organization. Illocutionary force (language functions performed); Input consisting of a language sample thus performs the ‘primary’ function of requesting a response and could, in this somewhat trivial sense, be regarded as functional. More important, however, is the extent to which the input performs language functions in addition to the manipulative function that is inherent in the test. At one extreme are ‘nonfunctional’ tests in which neither the input nor the response performs any illocutionary act. An additional complexity is that input varies from nearly ‘unifunctional’ to multifunctional. Simple, short instructions for constructing a diagram, for example, might be entirely manipulative in function, while a poem to be read and reacted to might be primarily imaginative. In oral interview, on the other hand, the input might perform a variety of functions, including requesting information - (manipulative), presenting propositions or opinions(ideational), and telling a joke (imaginative). ''Sociolinguistics characteristics; '' which consist of (1) dialect or variety; (2) register; and (3) naturalness, that are most directly linked to the context in which language use takes place.'' '' ''Restrictions on expected response '' '' ' Virtually all language use, even in situations which might be characterized as ‘authentic’ or ‘natural’, is '''restricted in various ways by the context or situation. Five types of such restrictions can be distinguished: 1- Restrictions on the channel; Language use takes place under a wide variety of conditions. Conversations are carried out face-to-face, in quiet rooms, and on noisy streets. Phone conversations take place out of visual contact over clear lines and over static-filled circuits. Speeches are attended in quiet halls with excellent sound amplification equipment and in noisy parks. In fact, many types of language use normally take place under less than ideal conditions. 2- Restrictions on format; In some tests the format is highly restricted, as in selection or identification response types, while in other tests the format may be fairly unrestricted, as in composition test requiring the production of a writing sample. 3- Restrictions on grammatical forms 4- Restrictions on the organization of discourse 5- Restrictions on time or length of response ''Reciprocal input and response '' Reciprocal language use can be defined as the use of language by one individual to produce an effect in another individual through the reduction of uncertainty with knowledge of results. This definition contains a number of components. The phrase ‘to produce an effect’ indicates that the language use has a communicative goal, or illocutionary intention. One of the distinguishing characteristics of reciprocal language use, then, is ''interaction ''and second distinguishing characteristic of reciprocal language use, the presence of ''feedback. Reciprocal tests or test tasks are those in which the test taker’s response affects subsequent input, and in which the test taker receives feedback on the relevance and correctness of his answer. ''Adaptive input and response '' In an ‘adaptive, or ‘tailored test, the particular tasks presented to the test taker are determined by her responses to previous tasks. In most adaptive tests, the test taker is not aware of the correctness of her responses. Adaptive tests do not involve the feedback or reduction of uncertainty through knowledge of results. Reference Lyle F.Bachman; Fundamental Consideration in Language Testing, Oxford University Press 1990 H. Farhadi; A. Jafarpur; P. Birjandi; Testing Language Skills from Theory to Practice, Tehran 2006